Published 4:00 am, Friday, June 18, 2004

A fire caused $75,000 in damage to a Vallejo synagogue Thursday in what investigators believe is a case of arson.

A team of firefighters was returning from another job when they spotted smoke coming from the B'nai Israel Temple on Nebraska Street at about 3:38 p.m.

"It's a temple and a school combined, with an interior courtyard," said Vallejo Fire Department spokesman Bill Tweedy. "They were able to determine the fire was inside the courtyard, inside an office. They entered the temple through the front entrance after removing a wrought-iron door, and they were able to push the flames back into the office."

It took about 19 firefighters 15 minutes to control the blaze, and they kept it from damaging more of the 10,000-square-foot synagogue complex, Tweedy said.

"If they hadn't been driving by, it would have easily burned into the temple's worship area," he added. "This easily could have been a million- dollar fire if it had been another five minutes."

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Investigators noticed signs that the synagogue -- which had been locked and was unoccupied -- had been ransacked, indicating a burglary. Authorities are pursuing a theory that the fire was set to cover up that crime.

Vallejo police were joined by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, which is routinely called in to investigate suspected arsons at houses of worship. Authorities sealed off the synagogue and were expected to stand guard overnight before going back in to gather more clues today.

The temple is the only synagogue in Vallejo and was the site of a multi- denominational service in 2002 to mark the one-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, Tweedy said. Tweedy said there was no evidence of graffiti or other markings indicating a hate crime.

Anyone with information about the fire is asked to call detectives James Matthews or Sid De Jesus at (707) 648-4379 or (707) 648-4504.